WASHINGTON - Committee on House Administration Ranking Member Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) and House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Doug Collins (R-Ga.) released the following joint statement after sending a letter to Chairperson Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) in response to Democrats violating House committee rules in order to allow a political consultant to question a witness during a Judiciary oversight hearing.

"House Democrats have reached a new low this Congress as they pretend to hold impeachment proceedings that their own majority and leadership haven't authorized. Tuesday's decision to allow an outside, private consultant to question a witness violates clear House committee rules, which say explicitly that consultants may not perform the duties of committee staff. The decision by the Chairs to allow this flagrant breach of House rules sets a dangerous precedent. By extending the opportunity for a part-time, political consultant to question a witness for thirty minutes while denying a duly elected Member of Congress the opportunity to designate himself to do the same—even though the rules allow Members that time—Democrats have granted political consultants and private contractors greater congressional privileges than elected representatives of the people."

"The reason committees are authorized to hire consultants in the first place is so consultants may ‘advise' the Committee Members and staff on matters within the Committee's jurisdiction. Consultants are not intended to ‘perform' the duties of the Members or staff. The only expertise these two consultants seem to have is giving nearly $200,000 combined to Democratic candidates and organizations and being outspoken critics of the President. If the Judiciary Committee Majority Members wish to have these political consultants ‘perform' the duties of staff, then the consultant contracts should be terminated, and they should be hired as staff. This will ensure that they are held to the same ethical standards, outside income restrictions, limitations on lobbying, financial discourses and obligations of all House staff."

Read the full letter here.



Background on Political Consultants:

Norm Eisen
Senior Fellow, Governance Studies at Brookings Institution
Political Involvement

  • Per FEC website, has given nearly $98k to Democratic campaigns and committees
  • Instances of speaking out against President Donald Trump
    • Following Mueller hearing, appeared in MoveOn.org video and called for supporters to "take to the streets if Donald J Trump fires Mueller."
    • Has sued President Trump, accusing him of violating the U.S. Constitution
  • CREW is an approved funding group of Democracy Alliance, which helps guide donations from wealthy liberals to anti-Republican activist organizations – Freebeacon article, 2/6/18

Barry H. Berke
Partner at Kramer Levin (NYC)
Political Involvement

  • Per FEC website, has given nearly $105k to Democrat campaigns and committees
  • "On liberal websites late last year, lawyers Norman Eisen and Barry H. Berke depicted Mr. Trump as a criminal and a liar as they floated conspiracy scenarios." – Washington Examiner (3/6/19)


For more information on what happened in the Judiciary Hearing, CLICK HERE.

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